Warren Central struggles to cope with weekend tragedy

Warren Central Warriors' Dijon Anderson makes a long run down the field in 2016. Anderson was seriously wounded in a shooting on Indianapolis' west side on Saturday, April. 6, 2017.(Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar)Buy Photo

Counselors were at Warren Central High School Monday as students returned to class for the first time since three classmates were shot over the weekend.

Angel Mejia-Alfaro, 17, was killed; and Dijon L. Anderson, 18, and Darius Moore, 19, were wounded when someone fired shots on the west side just after midnight Saturday near West 38th Street and Moller Road.

Johnathon Shirley, a Warren Central High School senior and friend to the victims, said classmates have been struggling to cope with the tragedy.

"I'm glad that we're all coming together and getting through this together," Shirley said. "They just made everybody happy. They were some funny guys."

Students wore red and black, Mejia-Alfaro's favorite colors, in their honor Monday, Shirley said. They stacked Teddy bears in a common area at the school where Mejia-Alfaro had been known to stand and talk to friends.

In a statement Saturday, Warren Central Schools officials expressed sadness and said counselors were on hand at the high school Monday.

Anderson, who was critically wounded in the shooting, is a senior and star football player who planned to play at Southern Illinois University next year.

Anderson was so excited when he got the scholarship offer, Shirley said.

"He worked so hard to get his grades up," Shirley said. "He had so much promise, so much potential."

Moore, who was in stable condition on Saturday, is a big guy who Shirley said he could always count on for help.

"He used to stick up for me a lot," Shirley said.

Detectives were still investigating the shooting Monday. No one's been arrested. Police have not yet released information on a possible suspect.